Tennis Anyone? Where To Eat At The 2012 U.S. Open
This year's U.S. Open will take place from August 27 to September 9, and an estimated 700,000 guests are expected to attend, making it the largest annual sporting event in the world. There will be no shortage of gourmet foods and beverages available at the tournament, with world-renowned chefs once again overseeing the 20-day event. A major theme of the food is undoubtedly local fare, as over 40 percent of all produce served is sourced from the region.
The U.S. Open estimates that its restaurants and concession stands will serve approximately 15,000 pounds of beef tenderloin and steaks; 225,000 hamburgers; and 85,000 pounds of poultry. Levy Restaurants Regional Chef Jim Abbey will again preside over the tournament's food selections, bringing with him a 250-person culinary team across five restaurants, 60 concession stands and 100 suites.
So now on to the fun question of where to eat! With a collection of vendors presenting a diverse selection of foods sure to please any palate, the U.S. Open's offerings can best be broken down into three categories: restaurants, wine bar and concessions.
Restaurants
While there are several types of stadium eaters, the tournament's five restaurants try to cater to all guests. Aces, located on the Club Level of Arthur Ashe stadium, will showcases Chef Masaharu Morimoto's sushi and sashimi selections, in addition to local catches from Gosman's of Montauk or Skuna Bay Salmon. New this year is Champions Bar & Grill, which will feature items created from the kitchens of Chef David Burke. The chef stressed that he will personally oversee the kitchen throughout the tournament, and guests can expect to enjoy ash-crusted prime beef carpaccio, along with steak and lobster entrées and signature cheesecake pops. Another Arthur Ashe stadium spot, the old standby Mojitos, will continue to churn out Latin cuisine with an emphasis on seafood, while Patio Café outside the U.S. Open Club provides a more casual setting with salads and sandwiches. A new opening next to Patio Café is the Moet Champagne Bar, where guests can relax with a glass of bubbly between (or during) matches.
Wine Bar Food*
James Beard Award-winner Chef Tony Mantuano is behind Wine Bar Food, located in both the South Plaza and Club Level of Arthur Ashe stadium. The Mediterranean small plates include the famous ouzo shrimp, which the chef joked emit an aroma that attracts an extra hundred customers each time they are cooked. Mantuano is especially excited to serve a whole burrata, a top-selling item from his Bar Toma in Chicago, from Brooklyn Cheese Company, accompanied by grilled leeks. He emphasized the importance of serving the burrata as a whole so as to not lose the cheese's creaminess. The chef also spoke highly of the wide range of Italian wines available at the stadium hotspot. (*Edit note: This spot gets the pick as top U.S. Open food stand from two of Food Republic's editors; that ouzo shrimp is the Truth!)
Concessions
As impressive as are the restaurants at the U.S. Open, the majority of fans will always opt for a quick bite at the Food Village, which operates with a concession-style setup. There is much buzz surrounding the new Farm to Fork stand, which stays true to the Open's commitment to local ingredients and will feature organic items such as a sandwich made with locally raised chicken and a summer roasted vegetable sandwich. Past favorites include sweet and savory crêpes, with strawberry and Nutella and grilled skirt steak being the most popular selections in each category. Similar to the restaurants, the stands offer a diverse range of gourmet foods: other quick dining items include lobster rolls, tacos and burritos, and Indian food from New Delhi Spice.
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